Paint can brush holder

ABSTRACT

A paint brush elevating, positioning and holding device for use atop a paint can. It is preferably but not necessarily made from a length of flat-faced strap metal whose lower end is L-shaped and fashioned into a readily applicable bracket or clamp. The upper end is reduced to provide a tang and a shoulder and is equipped with upper and lower plates or cleats having a permanent magnet sandwiched therebetween and adapted to attract and hold the usual magnetizable metal band of the paint brush in a readyto-use position.

United States Patent m y 451 Apr. 24, 1973 a [22] Filed:

[ PAINT CAN BRUSH HOLDER [76] Inventor: David Nagy, 1252 Davenport Road,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada June 14, 1971 [21] Appl. No.2 152,685

[52] US. Cl ..248/110, 248/206 A, 248/226 A,

v 248/309 [51] Int. Cl. ..B44d 3/14 [58] FieldofSearch ..248/l10,111,112, 248/113, 206 A, 226 A, 226 B, 309; 21 I/DIG. 1

I [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,531,073 9/1970 Cortina..248/l13 3,229,820 1/1966 Hentzl et a1. ....248/206 A 2,487,516 11/1949Braswell r i ..248/1 10 2,807,431 9/1957 MCHale 248/1 13 2,315,2693/1943 Morgillo ..248/1 10 3,536,285 10/1970 Vaughn ..248/206 A3,512,741 5/1970 Goldstein ..46/32 X Primary Examiner-William H. SchultzAtmrneyClarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson 57 ABSTRACT A paintbrush elevating, positioning and holding device for use atop a paintcan. It is preferably but not necessarily made from a length offlat-faced strap metal whose lower end is L-shaped and fashioned into areadily applicable bracket or clamp. The upper end is reduced to providea tang and a shoulder and is equipped with upper and lower plates orcleats having a permanent magnet sandwiched therebetween and adapted toattract and hold the usual magnetizable metal band of the paint brush ina ready-to-use position. 1

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures I PAINT CAN BRUSH HOLDER This inventionrelates to a simple and economical attachment which lends itself tofeasible use atop a conventional rim-equipped paint can and has to dowith an adaptation having a bracketing clamp. at the lower end andnovelly constructed permanent magnet means on its upper end whichconstitutes a readily accessible holder when the brush is not beingused.

The broad concept of supporting a readily attachable and detachablepaint brush from the upper open end of a rim-equipped can through themedium ofa bracket or an equivalent attachment is old and well known. Anumber of prior patents exemplifying the state of the art to which theinvention relates could be set forth here. It is believed, however, thatseveral prior patents will enable the reader to ascertain and evaluate,broadly stated, the field of invention herein under advisement. An earlybrush holder for example is that shown in a patent to George Linder US.Pat. No. 2,184,460 which shows a bucket or can clamp held by a setscrew,arm means, and mounting means therefor. An adaptation which serves toelevate, support and position the bristles of a brush over and inalignment with the receptacle portion of the can is shown in a patent toConstantine A. Morgillo US. Pat. No. 2,315,269. Because it shows magnetmeans, which is featured in the instant invention, reference can also bemade to the patent issued to James P. Vaughn U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,285which embodies clamping means for the paint brush applicable to the rimof a can or bucket.

- An object of the present invention is to advance the art and, in sodoing, to provide a simple, practical and economical self-containedattachment wherein the lower end of an upstanding arm or leg is providedwith a novel can clamp and wherein the upper shouldered end is providedwith structurally and functionally novel permanent magnet means.

Although the holder herein disclosed lends itself to use for articlesand objects such as tools and thelike it is expressly well designed andreliably usable on a rimequipped paint can and, more particularly,because of the fact that it retentively suspends the paint brush withthe bristles over the receptacle portion of the can in a manner toretrieve dripping paint.

Briefly, the concept herein revealed pertains to a paint brushpositioning, elevating and holding device, that is, an adaptation whichis set forth as an attachment in that it is designed and adapted to belocated and detachably clamped on the upper open rim-equipped end of apaint can. It comprises a single length of bendable flat-faced metal oran equivalent strap the major portion of which is fashioned into anupstanding arm or leg. The lower end of the leg is bent upon itself andis approximately L-shaped in edge elevation and embodies a horizontallong limb capable of resting for support atop a lid-mounting-rim' at theupper end of said paint can and, in addition, a depending vertical shortlimb. The horizontal limb is provided with a struck-out depending legpositioning and retaining tongue. The depending short limb is providedwith an accessible setscrew which is oriented and cooperable with thetongue and constitutes a fastener. Means is provided on the upper end ofthe leg for attaching a brush thereto and is preferably an adaptationwhich embodies a novelly constructed and arranged permanent magnet.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a fragmentary portion of a paintcan with the lid removed and with the novel paint can brush attachmentor bracket applied, the paint brush being supportively hung above thepaint in the can.

FIG. 2 is a central vertical sectional view with parts in elevationtaken approximately on the plane of the irregular section line 2-2 ofFIG. 1 looking in the direction of the indicating arrows.

FIG. 3 is a view on a smaller scale of the attachment by itself.

And FIG. 4 is a section taken approximately on the plane of the sectionline 44 of FIG. 3.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 the paint bucket or can is denoted by the numeral 6 andis conventional, the upper end thereof being provided with an endlesschanneled turned-in rim 8 which in actual practice accommodates anattachable and detachable cover or lid (not shown). The paint brush isconventional and is denoted at 10 and comprises a handle 12 having ahead 14 carrying bristles 16 partly held in place by the usual metal orequivalent collar or band 18. The fact that the band 18 is ofmagnetizable material gave rise to the underlying idea of the instantinvention which is to provide a permanent magnet for attachment andsupportive retention of the paint brush in the manner illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2.

Broadly the attachment comprises a vertically elongated leg withattaching means at the lower end applicable to the bucket or can, andwith permanent magnet means on the upper end with which the metal bandis detachably cooperable.

More specifically the attachment is denoted, generally stated, by thenumeral 20 and is preferably, but not necessarily, constructed from asuitable length of flat-faced strap metal. This strap is bent uponitself between its ends as at 22 to provide an upstanding verticallydisposable leg 24 and an adapter bracket 26. More specifically the lowerend portion is fashioned into a simple clamp 28 which is L-shaped, thatis, includes a horizontal long limb and a depending relatively shortlimb 30. The horizontal long limb has a portion struck out to provide adepending positioning and retaining tongue 32 which performs as bestshown in FIG. 2. The short leg is provided with a screw threaded hole toaccommodate the shank of a setscrew and more particularly a thumb screw33. The shank 34 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is arranged so that it can beclampingly engaged with the wall 36 of the can. The leg 28 rests atopthe rim 8 as brought out in FIG. 2 so that the hook-like tongue 32 canbe retentively applied and held in place in the manner shown. The upperend portion of the leg 24 is reduced to provide a tang 38 and a shoulder39. This shoulder serves to accommodate a washer 40 which in turn servesto accommodate upper and lower square or rectangular cleats or plates 42and 44. These plates are centrally apertured and fitted non-rotatablyover the tang 38 and the upper end of the tang is laterally bent andretentively clenched over and atop the associatively cooperable plate42, as at 46. These two plates serve to sandwich the centrally aperturedpermanent magnet '48 therebetween in such a manner that the edge portheattachment was evolved and produced.

The manner in which the attachment is constructed is shown to advantagein the views of the drawing and also the manner in which it is appliedand used is adequately illustrated. Accordingly, a more extendeddescription is deemed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications .and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. What isclaimed as new is as follows: 1. A paint brush positioning, elevatingand holding attachment designed and adapted to be located and detachablyclamped on the upper open rim-equipped end of a paint can comprising alength of bendable strap metal fashioned into an upstanding leg havingupper and lower ends, said lower end being bent upon itself and beingL-shaped in edge elevation and embodying (l) a horizontal long limbcapable of resting for support atop a lid-mounting-rim at the upper endof said paint can and (2) a depending vertical short limb, saidhorizontal limb being provided with a struck-out depending positioningand retaining tongue, said depending short limb being provided with anaccessible setscrew which is oriented and cooperable with said tongueand constitutes a fastener, said upper end being reduced in dimensionand defining a shoulder and a centralized tang projecting above thelevel of said shoulder, a pair of like spaced parallel upper and lowercleats centrally apertured and fitted over said tang, the lower cleatbeing positioned and supported atop said shoulder, and a centrallyapertured permanent magnet retentively fitted over said tang andinterposed and cooperatively sandwiched between said cleats and fittedover and retentively assembled on said tang.

2. The attachment defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein saidcleats are structurally and functionally alike and have correspondingmarginal edges projecting beyond and corresponding marginal edges ofsaid magnet.

3. The attachment defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein awasher is provided, said washer being also fitted over said tang,underlying said lower cleat and resting and supported directly on saidshoulder.

4. The attachment defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein saidtang has an upper free end extending through and beyond the aperture insaid upper cleat, said upper free end being bent laterally and clenchedfirmly and retentively atop said upper cleat.

1. A paint brush positioning, elevating and holding attachment designedand adapted to be located and detachably clamped on the upper openrim-equipped end of a paint can comprising a length of bendable strapmetal fashioned into an upstanding leg having upper and lower ends, saidlower end being bent upon itself and being L-shaped in edge elevationand embodying (1) a horizontal long limb capable of resting for supportatop a lid-mounting-rim at the upper end of said paint can and (2) adepending vertical short limb, said horizontal limb being provided witha struck-out depending positioning and retaining tongue, said dependingshort limb being provided with an accessible setscrew which is orientedand cooperable with said tongue and constitutes a fastener, said upperend being reduced in dimension and defining a shoulder and a centralizedtang projecting above the level of said shoulder, a pair of like spacedparallel upper and lower cleats centrally apertured and fitted over saidtang, the lower cleat being positioned and supported atop said shoulder,and a centrally apertured permanent magnet retentively fitted over saidtang and interposed and cooperatively sandwiched between said cleats andfitted over and retentively assembled on said tang.
 2. The attachmentdefined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said cleats arestructurally and functionally alike and have corresponding marginaledges projecting beyond and corresponding marginal edges of said magnet.3. The attachment defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein awasher is provided, said washer being also fitted over said tang,underlying said lower cleat and resting and supported directly on saidshoulder.
 4. The attachment defined in and according to claim 1, andwherein said tang has an upper free end extending through and beyond theaperture in said upper cleat, said upper free end being bent laterallyand clenched firmly and retentively atop said upper cleat.